The Legend Of Tarzan

As children, we all love to look up to different role models. Some kids look up to their parents, or a celebrity like Vince Neil ( the perfect role model ), or they simply get their role model after watching Danny McBride in action on the dancefloor. By the way, if you don´t own Eastbound & Down on dvd or blu ray, all seasons, you need to buy them right now. One of my biggest childhood role models was without a doubt Rutger Hauer. Loved his action films from the 80´s and 90´s. Flesh & Blood, The Hitcher, Wanted Dead Or Alive, Salute Of The Jugger, and many more. I still have some of the VHS tapes i bought with his films, but in recent years i got them on dvd and blu rays instead, because the film quality is much brighter. One of the films i do think you should see, that not many people talk about, is the 1987 film Wanted Dead Or Alive. Rutger Hauer as a bounty hunter, tracking down a muslim terrorist, played by Kiss member Gene Simmons. It may not be as good as The Hitcher, but i still see this film as an 80´s classic. There is an extended version on VHS, and i have myself a bought copy ( i must have bought this one back in the middle of the 90´s. So if you do get a chance to see the extended version, i suggest you do see it. Speaking of role models, don´t we all have our view on how a hero should be, or look like. If you ask a lot of older people, they will most likely mention Errol Flynn, or perhaps the Tarzan films as the perfect example. Tarzan ? Yeah, you know that muscle guy with the Fabio hair, flying around the jungle with apes ? The first film adaptation of Tarzan was released in 1918, a film called Tarzan Of The Apes, with Elmo Lincoln doing the lead role as Tarzan. He actually played Tarzan in 3 films, the last one was released in 1921. As films have not developed completely back in those days, a more modern take of Tarzan was made in 1932, with the film Tarzan The Ape Man. This time the role of Tarzan was given to actor Johnny Weissmuller, and he did a lot of Tarzan films, 12 of them, if i counted correctly. From the year 1955, to the year 1960, actor Gordon Scott did his portrait of Tarzan in cinema films. One of the best film adaptations of Tarzan, is in my mind Greystoke from 1984. Christopher Lambert in the lead role, as Tarzan, was simply one of the best performances of his acting career. And the film was really good also. This is one of those 80´s classics, that not many people talk about these days. But i suggest you get the blu ray, or the dvd, as long as you get yourself a copy. When i heard rumors that they were going to bring back Tarzan in a new film adaptation, i was not really surprised. What did surprise me was that they choosed swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård in the lead role. This was not the first actor i would have thought of doing this role. But in some ways, it did sound like fun. I decided to give this new film version a chance, and watch the 3D version in cinemas. Is Tarzan still a solid classic adventure even today, or should they have left the character alone instead ?

The Berlin Congress make the decision to divide Congo, between Belgium and the United Kingdom. The belgian government is on the verge of bankruptcy, and have gone into heavy debt. One of the biggest reasons, is because of the building of a national railway. King Leopold II decides to extract the Congo´s rich mineral deposits, sending his envoy Léon Rom ( Christoph Walz ) to take care of the fabled diamonds of Opal. A tribe attacks Léon´s crew, and kill everyone except for Léon. Tribal leader Chief Mbonga ( Djimon Honsou ) is ready to make an offer to Léon, he can have his diamonds, if Léon make sure to kill John Clayton III / Tarzan ( Alexander Skarsgård ). John have not lived in the jungle for many years, and is nowdays located in London. Here he settled down with his wife Jane Porter ( Margot Robbie ). John is trying to focus on his life in the ordinary world of humans, and leave his jungle years behind him in the past. One day, american envoy George Washington Williams ( Samuel L. Jackson ) is suspecting that the Belgians are enslaving the Congolese population. George convince John to go with him to Africa, knowing that he grew up in the jungle, that he could be the one to handle this mission. John is about to deal with his past, and continue his legacy in the jungle, and restore order in Congo.

If you were hoping for a romantic adventure, with less violence, this may not be the Tarzan film you should see. This is actually a pretty violent Tarzan film in some ways, and i think that was a good choice. If you are going to release a Tarzan film in 2016, better make sure you have action and fighting included. Why ? Because we don´t need a soft version, with sunset scenes and a lot of kissing. We already got that from Zac Efron in The Lucky One, and i felt asleep very quickly. So what do we have apart from action scenes ? We have Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan, and i have to say he is not that bad. Also, he must have worked very hard to get those muscles. Remember how the frontman in the metal band Thor used to look like ? Now you know we are talking bad boys. Alexander´s version of Tarzan matches the story, and even though we know this story from many times before, i will say that it works thanks to the new adaptation ideas brought to us. The fighting scenes looks great, the CGI looks good ( except in a few scenes ), and the dialogue is not all bad. If you have seen other films, based on the story of Tarzan, you will still recognize yourself. We have the classic elements of apes, the jungle, and Tarzan flying around in the trees. Samuel L Jackson is here also, as George Washington Williams. Not one of his best performances, but still functional. The biggest strength of this film, is without a doubt the performance of legendary actor Christoph Walz. His evil performance as Captain Léon Rom, could be the best part of this film. The atmosphere of the late 1800´s, is captured well, including the costumes. So is there anything to complain about ? Some details, but i think most of all i would have liked a stronger plot. It feels way too simple, and that´s why i love the 1984 film Greystoke, it felt more majestic, where Christopher Lambert did one of his best performances in his career. Alexander Skarsgård can´t reach that high, so he have to deliver more in the action scenes instead. Director David Yates is perhaps mostly known for directing 4 Harry Potter films, and you can tell he have an eye for the adventure genre. He have done a pretty good job with The Legend Of Tarzan, it is not as bad as i thought it would be. Some details could have been improved, but if you just want a classic adventure story delivered, this one should work. If you can survive a pretty weak story, and just enjoy a action adventure, then i suggest you run down to your local cinema. One thing is for sure, i need to get myself some apes at home. That way i will train them to get rid of Jehova´s Witnesses at my door step, do they never stop ? I guess not.

Rating: DDD

In Memory Of Gene Wilder

Its always a tragedy to hear that a legend have left us.  In recent years we have lost a lot of fantastic actors. 

Today i heard the news,  that Gene Wilder is no longer with us. He was an actor who gave us a lot of wonderful films. Ever since the 60's up until the 90's, Gene Wilder knew how to entertain his audiences worldwide. I would like to mention some of the films i remember mostly from his wonderful film career. 

Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory 

A classic film where Gene Wilder did a wonderful performance as Willy Wonka, the chocolate factory boss. A funny and twisted comedy musical, with a lot of crazy characters. 

Young Frankenstein 

Mel Brooks classic comedy,  based on the story of Frankenstein,is one of the most funny comedies of the 70's. Gene Wilder did a really funny performance as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein.

Blazing Saddles 

Perhaps the greatest western comedy, directed by Mel Brooks.  A crazy mix of classic western elements and black comedy satire. Gene Wilder played Jim " Waco Kid " where his comedy timing worked excellent. 

Silver Streak 

A really funny mix of thriller and comedy, where Gene Wilder got together with legendary comedian Richard Pryor, on a crazy train ride where anything can happen. A lot of great actors were also seen here such as Ned Beatty, Clifton James, Fred Willard and many more. 

See No Evil, Hear No Evil 

The comedy duo of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor returned, in a film that might be one of the best comedies of the 80's. Lots of funny dialogue between a blind man and a man who cant hear anything.  When they get involved in a murder, nothing goes as planned.  One of those comedies you should own on dvd. 

Thank you Gene Wilder for everything that you did for comedy in cinemas. Your portraits will be remembered forever, and help many actors find their own way. A true legend in Hollywood, and all across the world. 

Sharknado 4 - The 4th Awakens

It is important to live life. Do the things you want to do, explore the world, and meet different cultures. And no matter what you like to do, there is one thing i believe we all need to experience at one point in our lives.

The one thing we all need to experience, to let our souls be filled with love and passion, is to watch Sharknado. Ever since i started watching the Sharknado films, i became a better husband, i felt more joy in my heart, i understood what life is all about. Sharknado have changed million of peoples lives. It is one of the greatest experiences we can all be a part of. From the first film, and the sequels, i have noticed that i am more spiritual than ever. Forget about Yoga, meditation, just go for Sharknado to feel relaxed. Sharknade became a phenomenon back in 2013, when a small film called Sharknado was shown at SyFy Channel. The film exploded on social media, and everyone talked about Sharknado. No matter where you went online, no matter what bus you were on, everyone all ages loved talking about Sharknado. With the lead actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, as the heroic shark killers, fighting against tornados with sharks, you know that the concept was brilliant. The second film Sharknado 2 - The Second One, became even bigger, with a lot more viewers and also exploded on social media. The cast was bigger, the cameos became even larger, and the film was even better than the first film. SyFy Channel knew they had to keep the fans pleased, so of course there was a third film released, simply called Sharknado 3 - Oh Hell No!. This third film continued to bring more shark tornados, more action and a lot of great cameos. We were also introduced to the new character Colonel Gilbert, played by wonderful David Hasselhoff. Since the third film did really well with the viewer numbers on SyFy Channel, and was loved by fans worldwide, we all knew that we would see the gang back. And here we are, Sharknado 4 is here, and the cameos is one again incredible. The director of the previous Sharknado films, Anthony C. Ferrante, is back as the director and the main characters Fin and April are also back. For every film so far, you know there will always be some surprises to be found. So i was really hoping that this fourth film would please me, as the previous film have done. Is this the greatest sequel of all time, or is is time to let the Sharknado film series end for good ?

5 years have passed, and Fin ( Ian Ziering ) is now living in a farm in Kansas named " April´s Acres ". Here he is living with his mother Raye ( Cheryl Tiegs ) and his young son Gil ( Anthony Rogers ). April is believed to be dead, after being crushed by the wreckage of a space shuttle. Tech mogul Aston Reynolds ( Tommy Davidsson ) have developed a new type of high-speed space travel, with his company Astro-X. April´s father Colonel Gilbert ( David Hasselhoff ) was saved from space, thanks to Astro-X. With technology from Astro-X, radio waves can be used to defuse any tornado. Fin decide to travel to Las Vegas with his cousin Gemini ( Masiela Lushi ), to meet up with his son Matt ( Cody Linley ), who have returned home, after being away in Iraq. When a sandstorm tornado go towards Las Vegas, Astro-X can not stop it, because it is a completely different tornado. Sharks are picked up into the tornado, from a shark themed hotel nearby. Chaos have just broken out, and Fin have to find a way to fight against these beasts once more. April ( Tara Reid ) is not dead, because her father Wilford Wexler ( Gary Busey ) brought her back, and reconstructed her into a cyborg. Fin and April team up once again, to fight against the Sharknado storms coming their way.

If you have seen the previous Sharknado films, you know there will be lots of action, bad dialogue, bad special effects, and a hell of a lot of cameos from legendary stars. I won´t go into this too much, because i think it is more fun to see the cameos for yourself. But it is one of the things i really enjoy about the Sharknado franchise, every film brings Hollywood stars we all have seen on tv, in films, or even as musicians. The most important detail, why i love the Sharknado films, is because they are completely insane. And you got to admit that sharks in tornados might be the greatest idea, since electricity was discovered in the 18th century. The main actors Ian Ziering and Tara Reid, returning as Fin Shepard and April Shepard. There is something special, seeing these 2 legendary actors coming back, fighting sharks. For every film, it seems that there are still many wonderful ideas, how to fight Sharknados, with all kinds of weapons and gadgets. You also get to see different kinds of tornados with sharks this time, as these Sharknados develope and become more complicated. David Hasselhoff is also back as Colonel Gilbert, making another wonderful performance. He truly is one of the greatest actors of Hollywood. One of the biggest surprises is to see Gary Busey here, one of the most intelligent men on this planet. His role as April´s father Willie, is a must see. Gary always deliver, no matter what he does. You already know that the plot does not matter, or how bad some special effects are, because all you care about is to be entertained. And this is why i love the Sharknado franchise. It is all about having fun, and making fun of insane ideas. If you can´t see the point with Sharknado, you wont change your mind about this 4th one. This time we get more action, and plenty of sharks attacks, with a list of cameos, just as long as Anders Timell´s curly hair. Sharknado 4 is a film that is made for the love of the fans. Without the fans worldwide, the love for these films would not be as big as it is now. No matter how many sequels that will come out, i have to thank director Anthony C. Ferrante for doing these films. He is the main key to why we have the Sharknado films, and he should have his own star on the Hollywood walk of fame. In fact, i also think Ian Ziering and Tara Reid should both be nominated at The Golden Globe Awards for their performances. Sharknado 4 is an action feast for B movie lovers, and for all of those who loves insane shark action. If you loved the previous films, you are going to love this one also. Buy all the Sharknado films for your family this christmas, because everyone knows, Santa Clause loves Sharknado more than the christmas spirit. Ok, he loves the chainsaw also, but that´s another story.

Rating: DDDD

Weiner

Politics can be both interesting, but also filled with a lot of hard issues. I can honestly say i can never be a politician, simply because i would not take any bribes, or get myself involved with dangerous people. So i will continue, working in health care instead, because i am very good at what i do, helping people. I have followed american politics for many years, maybe not every week, but at least listened to debates, discussions, and suggestions by politicians. There is actually a european scandal in politics in Europe, that i read a lot about. The wild life of Silvio Berlusconi, and all his affairs with women, business, and his crazy lifestyle. You would think that it is all a fairytale when you read about everything he did in Italy, but he did things no one expected him to do. At least not in the beginning, but once he became more popular, he never stopped. Not until he got himself in trouble, when a very young woman claimed he had sex with her, and she was under 18. We all know what happened. Silvio was forced to quit his position and was punished for his acts. There is a documentary film called Videocrazy, that takes a look at the empire that Berlusconi built for Italy, and himself. You find out many interesting details there, i suggest you watch it. Politicians seem to have a way to find themselves in tricky situations. Not long ago, a man here in Sweden named Stefan Carlsson, a governor, resigned after he was caught having phone sex in work time, dialing to a phone sex line service. My reaction to this was, did he actually think it was a good idea ? If he wanted to jerk off, he could have done that to his computer screen at home, and no one would care. Let´s go back to american politicians for a moment. Have anyone of you heard the name Anthony Weiner ? He was a very respected congressman, who stood up for many people with problems, while many politicians tried to cover it all up. Anthony got praised for his actions, until one day, when a picture of his underwear was posted on his twitter account. This became the downhill for Anthony, and he was forced to resign, after a lot of pressure from all corners. I took the time to see the new documentary film, simply called Weiner, to find out more about Anthony himself, and hear his version of what happened. Since i heard a lot of positive feedback since this documentary film screened at festivals, i got even more excited. With such a personal story, that leaked out infront of millions of people, is Weiner a very powerful documentary film, or is the story more interesting than the film itself ?

Congressman Anthony Weiner is loved by the american people. He speaks very open in Congress, about what he feels is wrong in politics. People love him on the streets, news networks praise Anthony for his brave approach towards leaders. But then, one day, a picture of Anthony´s underwear is posted online, showing forms of a very private part. At first Anthony denies that he posted the picture. Eventually he confess, and leave Congress. 2 years have passed and Anthony is ready to run for Major of New York City. He is positive, and people seem to be forgiving his mistake. Until new information is leaked online, about other secret issues. Can Anthony save his marriage, and his campaign ?

There is no doubt that the story of Anthony Weiner is very fascinating, because you can tell he really wanted to make things right. Not every politician would go as far as Anthony did in Congress, and you have to appreciate what he tried to do. Was his decision wrong to post his picture ? Considering his position as a congressman, i would say that he should not have done that. 2 years later he runs for major in New York, and he have to prove to everyone, that he wants a second chance. The film really digs deep into the political life of Anthony Weiner, and Anthony himself seems very honest about what happened, how he tries to come back. One of the details i love about this documentary film, is how well made it is. The editing, the sound, as well as the quality of the film is off very high standards. You feel engaged into the story, and the further we dig into the truth, you just want to know more. Of course the other scandals effect his career, his marriage, and his future. The most interesting part of the story, that surrounds Anthony Weiner, is to see how he handle the pressure, to still become major of New York, no matter what he have to do to make people believe in him. You can tell by his facial expressions that he is not happy about all the decisions he made. I also enjoy the conversations between Anthony and his staff, who don´t know how to handle everything, when more scandals turn up. Do you just follow the rules, or do you break some just to get the campaign going ? Weiner is without a doubt the best documentary film i have seen in recent years. Directors Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg both prove how good they are to make a scandal, feel very honest and uncovered in this film. All the interviews, footage, pictures, are used very well in a very positive way. Especially a big thank you to Anthony Weiner himself, for being so open about this story on camera. I honestly hope that Weiner is going to be a winner at festivals for best documentary film, this is a worthy winner with a lot to say. Not only on a personal level, but also in politics in general. Are you one of those who can´t wait for the 50 Shades Of Another Grey Sequel in the beginning of 2017 ? You need to focus on seeing Weiner instead, because this is the quality film we all needed.

Rating: DDDD

Bad Moms

Mothers, what would we do without them ?

They are in control of everything, in their home, at their work, at their children´s activities. Mothers of all ages do a fantastic job, and i have no problem saying that. But with all the responsibilities, they deserve to have some fun once in a while. So what does moms like to do ? Well, i have a list of things that i have noticed what mothers enjoy.

# A Kenny G concert, with all his greatest hits, makes any mother pleased ( must be because they love the sound of the saxophone ).

# Visiting the Smithsonian National Postal Museum, because there is nothing more exciting for mothers than to look at collections of stamps.

# Having their own magazine nights. This is the chance where they find out all the gossip about celebrities, if Jon Heder is finally single, and the best tips of how to make vegetables look trendy.

There you go, i should be hired by Oprah soon, because honestly, how many men knew all of this ? I know, its amazing. When we talk about mothers in general, we have all kinds of mothers out there. And one way to portrait different kinds of mothers, is through films. And i would like to mention a film, that may not be the most positive film about a mother, but should be seen. Savage Grace, a film directed by Tom Kalin. It is an interesting portrait of the true story, of mother, Barbara Daly Baekeland, really well acted by Julianne Moore. You should rent this film, if you have nothing else to watch and give it a try. Then we have classics like Alice Doesn´t Live Here Anymore by director Martin Scorsese. A classic film where lead actor Ellen Burstyn made a great performance. There are so many films that takes on the subject of motherhood, so instead of mentioning too many titles, let´s focus on one film in particular. What if a gang of mother´s have had enough, with all the work at home, fixing everything for their kids, but never get to do anything themselves ? This is basically what the new comedy Bad Moms is all about. I actually did not know much at all about this film, since i did not even see a trailer before seeing it in a cinema. But i did recognize the actors on the cinema poster. Mila Kunis and Kristen Wiig, i have seen them both in good films in the past. Kathryn Hahn is one really good comedian, and have done a lot of great performances, in everything to Anchorman to Bad Words ( a film you have to see ). They all get together, on a crazy ride, in Bad Moms. Since i barely knew anything about this film, is it better than i expected, or is this a typical comedy that we usually forget all about ?

Amy Mitchell ( Mila Kunis ) is a married woman, and mother of 2 wonderful kids, Jane Mitchell ( Oona Mitchell ) and Dylan Mitchell ( Emjay Anthony ). Amy´s husband Mike Mitchell ( David Walton ) is a couch potato, who don´t care about much. So Amy have to take care of everything, both at home and all activities for their children. Amy is also active in the school´s PTA, who is run by Gwendolyn ( Christina Applegate ) and her two cronies Stacy ( Jada Pinkett Smith ) and Vicky ( Annie Mumolo ). When Amy one day find out, that Mike is cheating on her through internet, she have had enough. She also decide to quit the PTA. At a bar, after an awful day, Amy meets Carla ( Kathryn Hahn ), a mother who is living life. Amy begin to realise that she needs to have some fun. They also meet Kiki ( Kristen Bell ), a married mother, with many kids. All three mothers make a pact, they are not going to do everything anymore, they are going to take more control of their lives. Nothing will ever be the same again, after this night.

Going into the cinema and watching Bad Moms, i had no expectations at all. In fact, i had not even planned to see it in the cinema, but i am glad that i did. Bad Moms is a funny, and vulgar comedy, that works, because of 3 characters. And we should thank actors Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn. Their characters, combined, in different crazy situations, makes this film a good time. Especially Kathryn Hahn, she is so good at being embarrassing, that she should have her own lead role in a comedy like this, and we might laugh even more if she have the right character. The plot of 3 moms who had enough, and want to live life, is in no way original, or interesting. But that´s ok, the basic idea of this film is to be a comedy that makes fun of the typical mother image. It is also fun to see Christina Applegate here, as the evil Gwendolyn. She actually fits her character, perhaps because she is good at doing different characters in different comedies. In the first 15 minutes of the film, it pretty much looks like any ordinary american comedy, but when the film finally picks up and becomes more vulgar, this is where we want to be. You could say that this is a mix of The Hangover and Bridesmaids, but with a different touch on being a mother. Directors Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, are both mostly known for being screenwriters to many comedies, such as The Hangover and The Change-Up. To see them make a comedy together, from a female perspective, is a nice surprise. You can tell that they wanted to show the world, even mothers are allowed to have a good time, and not only men. I think they manage to find a nice balance between the vulgar messages, and the family theme. Perhaps they should have let the women become a little bit more insane, but hopefully we can see the cast return in a sequel. Can you believe that ? I am positive for a sequel, that does not happen very often. So if you guys Jon Lucas and Scott Moore are reading this review, go for another one. Bad Moms is the perfect example of how you want your mother to be on a night out on town. Or do we want that ? All i know is that i had a good time with this film, and i know especially mothers all over the world will enjoy themselves. A lesson learned men, don´t expect your girlfriend / wife, to fix everything, all the time. At least fix them tickets to a Kenny G concert, that´s a great way to show how much you love her. You see, i can read womens minds after all. Support crazy mothers, buy your tickets to Bad Moms in cinemas now.

Rating: DDD

Ghostbusters

If there´s something strange, in your neighbourhood, who you´re gonna call ?

Loa Falkman

I don´t think we need to call anyone else, besides, this man can fix any problem. No matter if you are having problems with ghosts, snow tsunamis, Olle Jönsson, you can always be sure that Loa Falkman is the man with the right tools. Speaking of ghosts, do you belive they exist ? They might be real, i just don´t see them so far. Perhaps i will at some point, and if they appear, don´t expect to see me staying around. They say that ghosts can be seen in many different shapes, and we have seen many tv shows, documentaries about Ghost Hunters. But most of all, i think we should be talking about one film, that became a huge hit in the 80´s, where ghosts got a brand new look than before. Ghostbusters, an action comedy, directed by Ivan Reitman from 1984, is thé story of a gang of ghost hunters in New York, trying to stop the evil Gozer. This film is one of those great classics from the 80´s, you can watch over and over again, and still love even today. The cast of Dan Akroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Annie Potts, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis, helped the film becoming a cult film. Considering the film was made in the early 80´s, i have to say that the special effects still look pretty good today. Cheesy in some scenes ? Sure, but still director Ivan Reitman did a great job with the look of the film. Ghostbusters gave a generation of kids, and nerds a chance to feel like superheroes, with all the merchandise that was released after the film did amazing at the box office. You had Ghostbusters figures, slime, weapons, skateboards, and a lot of other toys. There was no surprise that a sequel was going to be made, so in 1989 we got to see Ghostbusters 2 in cinemas worldwide. I actually did see this sequel in a theatre, with my father. The sequel did not manage to capture the magic of the first film, even if the cast of the first film is here again. I think the biggest problem was that the comedy chemistry did not work this time. Not a completely awful sequel, but nowhere near as good as the first film. There have been discussions for many years, about Ghostbusters 3. And there were discussions to bring back the original cast one more time, but that all changed when Harold Ramis passed away in 2014. Harold wanted to make a third film, but since Bill Murray did not feel very pleased about doing another one, everything did not work out. So eventually, Sony Pictures made the decision to bring in a whole new cast. This time a cast of all women as the new Ghostbusters, with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. Since i am a fan of the original film, i was looking forward to see if a updated version of the classic film would work in 2016. Is this better than i expected, or should Sony Pictures have left Ghostbusters alone?

Dr. Erin Gilbert ( Kristen Wiig ) is focusing on her career as a physics professor at Columbia University. When she finds out that a book she wrote, with her co-author physics researcher Abby Yates ( Melissa McCarthy ), is published without her permission, she is furious. The book is about the paranormal phenomena. Erin goes to see Abby, to get some answers of why she published the book. There she also meet eccentric engineer Dr. Jillian Holtzman ( Kate McKinnon ). Abby and Jillian are working together, trying to figure out ways to handle ghost problems. Recently, a lot of ghost activities have been spotted around New York, so this gives these women a chance to do something different. Put together a team, where the idea is to capture ghosts, and make sure that citizens can feel much safer. They get a visit from Patty Tolan ( Leslie Jones ), a happy and social woman, who would love to join their team.They also hire a receptionist named Kevin ( Chris Hemsworth ), who is supposed to take calls in emergency moments. It seems that all these ghost activities that are happening around town, is caused by a man called Rowan North ( Neil Casey ). He is planning to revenge, for all the years he have been treated like garbage, and he have found a way to release ghosts out on the streets. Ghostbusters are ready to take on the streets of New York, but do they really know what is waiting out there ?

You shall never judge a film by it´s trailer, and i was hoping that this updated version of Ghostbusters would turn out to surprise me. I think a female cast was a good idea, since the original Ghostbusters are getting older, it would have been hard to have them all back in a third film. When i saw the cast of Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Leslie Jones and Kate McKinnon as the new Ghostbusters, i was hoping that they would fit into the characters and deliver solid comedy performances. Considering that especially Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig have proved their comedy timing in several films, i have to say that they don´t manage to deliver. This has nothing to do that they are women, this is because of their characters. One of the things that made the original film funny, was because of the chemistry between the characters. In this updated version, it is like they are just made into characters, that are supposed to fit into this genre, but they simply don´t match. This is too bad, because there is nothing wrong with the idea of an all female cast. Melissa McCarthy as the loud paranormal scientist Dr. Abigail, have a few funny scenes, but that´s basically it. Kristen Wiig as Dr.Erin, is perhaps one of the more solid characters. I know that Kate McKinnon have been critisized for her performance as the nutty Dr. Jillian. I like the idea of her character, but she becomes a bit too much crazy. Leslie Jones as Patty Tolan, is also a highlight in this film. Her comedy timing in Ghostbusters, is needed to be honest. In fact, the scenes i laughed most in, was when Leslie had screening time. Then we have the stupid receptionist Kevin, played by Chris Hemsworth. He does give a performance you won´t forget, because his character is really dumb. The tone of the new Ghostbusters film, have influences from the original film. But even though we can recognize the style, and some of the looks, there are some problems we need to mention. The evil Rowan North, played by Neil Casey, is one of the worst bad guys i have seen in a long time. In a big budget film like this, you need to have a strong evil character who deliver some really enjoyable evil dialogue. Neil Casey does not give us anything on this level, i simply don´t understand why he did his character this way. Andy Garcia as the mayor is a good idea, but comes out wrong in this film. A legendary actor like him should have been given a more powerful character. Director Paul Feig have directed 3 really funny films with Melissa McCarthy in the past, Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy. So this is their fourth time working together. Unfortunately, this time it does not work. And i think Paul´s version of Ghostbusters may have been different than what the fans asked for. The original film will always be a classic, and this updated version does not feel either as funny, or entertaining as the 1984 film is. Ghostbusters may be loved by a younger generation, i just did not found myself enjoying this version, as much as i was hoping for. It´s not looking good for a sequel right now, considering the box office numbers, but if they choose to do one, keep the cast of this film, but make sure to make that film more funny. Nice to see some cameos though from some of the original Ghostbusters film.

Rating: DD

Born To Be Blue

Very few people know this, except for some of my family members, and some friends. When i was around 16 years old, i listened a lot to acid jazz. I bought albums of The Brand New Heavies, Jamiroquai and Incognito. The 90´s was a popluar time for the acid jazz sound, mixing soul, pop with jazz influences. I may not have been listening to traditional jazz music, but i enjoyed the jazz sound in songs, especially in the british band Jamiroquai. I have an example of a song i still enjoy even today. On the 1994 album The Return Of The Space Cowboy, there is a song called Manifest Destiny. This song is magical in some ways. The pure sound, where singer Jay Kay digs deeper into his jazz roots, is just lovely. The lyrics speaks a truth you won´t find in many songs in today´s society. When the 90´s ended, the acid jazz scene did not survive the top charts anymore. These bands are still around, but they usually play different styles today. Except for Incognito, they have released acid jazz albums for many years. Jazz music have influenced a lot of musicians, did you know that Limp Bizkit drummer John Otto found his inspiration to music from jazz? Interesting, i suppose you can tell by his drummer style that he might have jazz influences, if you listen carefully. Jazz music have a lot of legends to be mentioned, from the glory days where jazz music was very popular. Some of the jazz musicians we should mention, are of course Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Art Blakely, Clark Telly among some of the legends. There are so many that it would take forever to mention all the greatest. But let us focus on one man in particular at this moment. Have some of you heard of jazz musician Chet Baker ? A legendary jazz trumpet player, who also played flugenhorn. I can honestly say that i have not heard a lot of albums with Chet Baker, probably because i never really listened to pure jazz albums. But i know he is a legend in the jazz industry, and still today make a younger generation want to play jazz music. For those of you who knew his lifestyle, he died tragically in 1988, while he was in Amsterdam. His drug problems never stopped completely, and we all know that a lot of musicians have lost their lives where drugs are involved. About 5 months ago i started reading online about a new film, based on the life of Chet Baker, with Ethan Hawke in the lead role. This sounded really interesting, since i am a big fan of Ethan Hawke. I also noticed that this film, simply called Born To The Blue, is directed by Robert Dubreau. He directed an interesting short film called The Deaths Of Chet Baker back in 2009. With this combination, a really good actor with a fascinating director, and a very interesting story included, is this a film that should get more attention ? Or does the cover fool you and deliver something completely uninteresting ?

Chet Baker ( Ethan Hawke ) becomes a respected name in the world of jazz, for his uniqe style of playing the trumpet. He keeps getting gigs, and people loves his music, but there is another side of his life. His addiction for heroine, and new women, makes a big impact on his life. He meets actress Jane Azuka ( Carmen Ejogo ) and begin a romantic relationship with her. As he walks out from a bowling alley one night, Chet is attacked by thugs and they break his teeth. The results of this, is that he can´t play the trumpet no more. He needs to start all over, both trying to get his life together, and his health. But the question is, can he get it all together, or is he running out of time ?

Ethan Hawke have a very interesting catalogue in his movie career. Most of the time he always deliver, no matter what genre he decides to take on. 2 of the films i remember him mostly from is Training Day and Before The Devil Knows You´re Dead. I also enjoyed his performance a lot in the film Good Kill, a film not many people noticed. After watching Born To The Blue, i can honestly say that i am really pleased. Ethan Hawke is fantastic as Chet Baker, this might be one of his greatest performances in many years. That he manage to play a junkie musician so well, shows that he really knows how to take on dark characters. The film is described to be semi-fictional, so everything we see may not be exactly the way Chet Baker lived. But it does not matter, this film is so powerful and emotional, you can´t deny the impact that the film gives the viewer. For example, a scene in a bathtub, after Chet have had health issues, that scene is one of the moments you won´t forget. Director Robert Dubreau have directed a lot of short films, and one feature film called That Beautiful Somewhere. I have not seen this film, but i did see his short film The Deaths Of Chet Baker, a short film on the last days of Chet Bakers life. A really good short film, with really good acting. You can watch it on Youtube, if you want to see it. Now, Robert Dubreau is obviously fascinated by the life of Chet Baker, and you can tell that by his vision of his film Born To Be Blue. He digs deep into the musician, and try to give us an image of who he was, and his life filled with pain. Instead of just focusing on making music scenes, he tries to give us a more personal look. And this is something i am really pleased about. If you are making a biographical film, do it with depth, and emotions. When the darkness around Chet Baker becomes more obvious, you can´t leave your seat with such powerful scenes in his addiction for drugs and women. Ethan Hawke is simply outstanding as the legendary jazz musician, his facial expressions, his body language, and his dialogue, all fits together. Just listen to some of the dialogue, with the acting quality, this is exactly what we want. We also have some really good acting from the cast, take Kedar Brown as an example. His few scenes as Miles Davis is something i would have liked to see more of. Maybe he can make a film based on Miles Davis in the future ? Carmen Ejogo, playing 2 characters here, also does a wonderful job behind the camera. Born To The Blue is one of the best films of this year so far, you don´t find acting on this level very often, so i highly recommend you buy this film on dvd, or blu ray. If Ethan Hawke is not nominated at film festivals for his performance, something must be terribly wrong. He deserves a nomination, and you need to see this film.

Rating: DDDD

The Purge: Election Year

Even if i live in Sweden, i like to listen to the American President election. And if you have followed some of this, you might know it stands between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Who will win ? Hard to say at this point, but whoever takes the trophy home, i wish you all luck. Politics can be very hard, in many ways. Every politician has to take on many problems, where some things may seem impossible to fix. Unfortunately, many politicians are known for talking, and don´t do anything about it. Maybe this is why Donald Trump is getting so many americans on board his train, he is saying things that no one else would say. Here in Sweden we have had a lot of issues, especially about the migration problems. Every single politic party in the swedish government have been in discussion, on how to fix this issue. With so many migrants coming in to Sweden ( even more in Germany ), you have to arrange places for them to live, food, clothes, well fair, swedish language education. Hopefully we will get this done right, so migrants can get jobs, and find their place in society. So what happens when society have had enough, with raising criminality, where not even Police can fix everything? What if politicians decided to give everyone a chance, where you can kill anyone you want, within 12 hours ? I personally don´t think this would solve all the problems, but i would not be surprised if someone would come up with a crazy idea like this. The idea of having 12 hours to kill anyone you want, was shown in a film called The Purge, back in 2013. It was a small film, with a very limited budget, but became a box office success. With Ethan Hawke in the lead role, horror fans got excited and gave this film a positive reputation. I will say this, i did not enjoy the first film as much as some people do. The main reason for that is because the whole film basically took place inside a house. When director James DeMonaco returned to make a sequel, he listened to the feedback from the first film, and made The Purge: Anarchy, out on the streets instead. The results were much better, and i had a good time with the sequel, it is better than the first film. I also felt that the characters were more interesting in the sequel. So here we are with the third installment of the Purge films, and director James DeMonaco is the director again. I only read some details before the film premiered, so i was not sure if it would work a third time around. But i got the chance to go and see it in the cinema, just to see if the concept would still work. Is this third Purge film the strongest release so far, or is this another sequel you might as well forget, and spend your money on something else ?

The year is 2040, and it is only 2 nights until the annual Purge night begins. Riots are breaking out all over Washington D.C., where people are claiming that New Founding Fathers, are using the Purge to help their economic agenda. Senator Charlie Roan ( Elisabeth Mitchell ) is running for president in the upcoming Presidental campaign. She feels that the Purge night should not exist, because murder is not something that should be allowed. NFFA´S candidate, Minister Edwidge Owens ( Kyle Secor ) see Charlie Roan as a threat. On March 20, the day before the annual Purge, the NFFA revoke the Purge rule, where 10 government officials are protected. This will give them a chance to eliminate Roan, with the help of a white supremacist group. Leo Barnes ( Frank Grillo ) is the head of security, and is making sure no one will hurt Senator Roan. The Purge night is just around the corner, and Leo is about to experience another day in hell, where no one is safe.

When you are going into a third sequel, in a film series, you better make sure you have something to deliver. Because in general, sequels are very often not very good. When it comes to The Purge: Election Year, it is actually not a disaster that it easily could have been. You have the main character from the second film here, Leo Barnes ( Frank Grillo ), who is a really good action star. He is perhaps the biggest reason why i enjoyed The Purge: Anarchy so much. This third time around, he is still here and ready to clean up the streets. The cast this time is filled with fresh faces, and one of the actors i have to mention, doing a great job, is Elisabeth Mitchell as Senator Charlie Roan. Her character feels both interesting, and to see her as the strong woman, who tries to end the Purge, makes sense. I also enjoy the character Joe Dion, played by actor Mykelti Williamson. He is a funny store manager, who says what he thinks, and deliver some funny dialogues along the way. If we take a look at the plot, it is basically another Purge film, with a lot of similar details from the previous films. However, this time it is more about political issues. And you will notice that, as we are introduced to how politicians feel very passionate about the Purge. Their need to kill people, to get society back on track ( in their minds ). I think director James DeMonaco did the right choice, making this third film more political. Because the Purge does include a lot of political subjects, and the concept of the film works. Another thing i feel director DeMonaco have done this time, is to deliver more insanity. Some of these crazy Purge hunters, have clearly no problem with killing innocent people. It is almost like it turns them on. While the second film tried to take the battle into the streets, this third film tries to do it more traditional to the first film. We do get to see the main characters being attacked, but mostly at chosen locations. Once the killings and violence begins, the film takes a step into the right direction. Perhaps i would have liked some more scenes on the streets, to see people going even more insane. I felt that the second film The Purge: Anarchy, managed to portrait this better. Still, i will say that for a third film in a film series, The Purge: Election Year manage to keep the train going, in a positive way. Some details could have been improved, but with some great characters, fighting in another Purge night, you should find something to be pleased about. The Purge: Election Year does not deliver anything fresh, but that´s ok, i feel entertained by the concept. With Frank Grillo as the main character, you are in for a fun ride where violence is needed to solve major problems. Will we ever see a fourth film ? We can always hope, but if we do, i hope Frank Grillo will return. Without him i don´t think these Purge films would work, as well as they do.

Rating: DDD

Meet The Blacks

I love great comedians, who can make an audience laugh, both on stage, and in films. There are of course so many comedians out there to choose between, but you always find some of them more funny than others. There are also those who started as comedians on stage, and became more popular in films. Let´s take Mike Epps as an example. Since he started doing comedy stand up in 1995 with Def Comedy Jam, he have been in a lot of films over the years. Just look at some examples, how about Next Friday, Dr Dolittle 2,  Resident Evil: Apocalypse, Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins among others. As you probably have guessed by now, all of these films should have been Oscar nominated. My biggest memory of Mike Epps is actually in the 2 films Next Friday and Friday After Next. If some of you remember the Friday films with Ice Cube, you might remember that they were actually pretty funny, making fun of ghetto, hip hop, and different kinds of cultural styles. Even though Mike Epps have tried doing other genre films, outside the comedy genre, i think it is pretty clear that he must know where he belongs. There is however one film i have thought about seeing, with him in the cast, that looks different from his earlier work. The film is called Repentance, and have a cast of Forest Whitaker and Anthony Mackie included. A smaller film, that is supposed to be ok in the thriller genre. I think it is a good thing if comedians dare to move outside their comfort zone, and do something unexpected. You might remember when Jim Carrey did his film The Number 23 back in 2007, it did cause reactions from fans and film critics. I would not say that it was one of Jim Carrey´s better films, but it was nice to see him surprise everyone. You could say that Mike Epps have tried to do so also, especially when he joined the cast of 2 Resident Evil films. During spring time this year, i heard rumors about Mike Epps getting his own major role in a new comedy. Since i did not know much at all about the film, i decided to wait and see what he would bring us. The title did not surprise me at all, Meet The Blacks sounds pretty much as a typical comedy. Then i heard online that it would be a comedy, making fun of the first The Purge film. In some ways, this felt like a warning sign. Most parody comedies are not as good as some classics, The Naked Gun films as an example. They would never have been so great without Leslie Nielsen and director David Zucker. I always try and go into a film with an open mind, and of course i had to give Meet The Blacks a chance as well. Is this much more fun than i expected, or is Meet The Blacks just as horrible as Left Behind turned out to be ?

Carl Black ( Mike Epps ) decide to move out of Chicago, after stealing a lot of money, from the criminal drug king Key Flo ( Charlie Murphy ). Carl moves to Beverly Hills, with his wife Lorena Black ( Zulay Henao ) , his son Carl, Jr Black ( Ale Henderson ), his daughter Allie Black ( Bresha Webb and cousin Cronut ( Lil Duval ). Everything seems alright, and they like their new neighborhood. When Carl and the family finds out, that Purge night is about to start, the safe image is about to be broken.

You know, it becomes more obvious that Hollywood is really trying to push out anything they can, just to make a profit. So the easiest way to do that, is to borrow influences from other films, mix it all together, and hope that people will have fun. Meet The Blacks is one obvious example, how you throw in different comedy clichés, mix it all together with gangsta influences. But here you also borrow influenses from The Purge films, just to make sure that the audience will enjoy themselves. It would have been a good idea to make fun of these films, if it was done correctly, with a lot of satire. Meet The Blacks is nowhere near that level, this is a dumb vulgar comedy that does not even try to be funny. A lot of the jokes focus on black people, and try to joke about typical black people issues. As i sat watching this film, i could barely laugh at any point. Not even the main character Carl Black, played by comedian Mike Epps, could make this film funny. I don´t mind vulgar language, or stupid characters, but if you don´t know how to make a film funny, you should just skip the comedy genre. Mike Epps is as usual loud, and try to sound like a crazy guy. It just don´t work, and i have no idea why the Purge theme is here. I enjoy parodies, but this parody is lazy as hell. Director Deon Taylor have directed a couple of films in the past, and one of the films i did enjoy is called Supremacy. With great performances from Danny Glover and Joe Anderson, among others, this small film managed to bring an important message. To be honest, i have no idea why he thought Meet The Blacks was a film he needed to do. Was it because he needed cash ? I would think so. Because this is not a comedy you want to waste your time on. He does not even try and make the characters funny, and this is something he should have at least fixed. The only actor i can think of, that might be the only one to deliver anything, is Zulay Henao. The plot is very thin, and there is absolutely no meaning to having the Purge in here. Meet The Blacks is a stupid ass comedy, with almost no funny scenes at all. I already regret seeing it, just like i did when i almost did not survive, watching Twilight Breaking Dawn Part 1. Mike Epps a good advice, stop doing a lead role, unless you find a good script. If you continue on this level as this film, your comedy future may be in danger. I suggest you all go in and rent The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, if you want to laugh at black jokes. This is one really funny comedy. Just avoid Meet The Blacks at all cost.

Rating: D